Bidspirit auction | [LITERATURE] - Letters and Maxims:

[LITERATURE] - Letters and Maxims: An Italian Anthology of Wit and Wisdom (18th c.) - ANONYMOUS – [Collection of drafts for letters and sentences by various Italian authors from the 17th to 18th century]. Italy, second half of the 18th century. Small 4to (193x134 mm), contemporary ‘carta rustica’ pasteboard, three quires sewn together, several blank pages, text in Italian in a clear and legible cursive handwriting, altogether 47 leaves, text with additions and changes/deletions, therefore apparently a 'study' manuscript notebook, in which the scribe, for his own personal use, transcribed incipits and sentences excerpted from letters from contemporary Italian writers (such as Menzini, Redi, Fontanini, Vallisneri, Algarotti); the closing section also includes an anthology of maxims and sayings, including the famous one by Voltaire: «Donnez moi des cuisiniers français, et des philosophes anglais». The present manuscript is sold with an export license from Italy.